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Wednesday, October 29, 2014

A Tasting of Ferrari with Matteo Lunelli

I was pleased to attend the Ferrari-Trento sparkling wine
lunch at Tony’s for wine trade and media with Ferrari President, Matteo Lunelli; it was undoubtedly the wine highlight of my month. In addition to the fabulous food that one can always
expect from Houston’s favorite upscale Italian eatery, each course was also being
paired with some of Italy’s most award-winning sparkling wine.

I learned many interesting things during
the course of our meal. The history of the company began with the dream of one
man, Giulio Ferrari. He began his study
of wine in the late 1800’s in Italy. He later moved to France to continue his
studies and ended up traveling to Champagne to learn to make bottle- fermented
sparkling wine. He would also study in Germany before bringing his knowledge
and ideas back to Trentino at the end of the 19th century. Well-traveled
and well educated, he believed his home was ideal for making a bottle-fermented
sparkling wine like he had seen in other parts of Europe. In 1902, he started
production.

His goal was to make the best sparkling Italian wine that he
could, in the tradition of the great wines of Champagne with the same grapes but
from his terroir. He bought Chardonnay plants back and spread them around
Italy. He was interested to see it respond in different environments. As he had
expected, Trentino’s limestone gravel slopes had the perfect conditions for growing
Chardonnay grapes for sparkling wine. The area would help balance the acidity
with aromatic complexity due to its elevation which is sitting at an even higher level than
the vineyards of Champagne.

A childless Giulio Ferrari would pass the torch of his dream
to his friend, a wine merchant named Bruno Lunelli in 1952, and thus begin another
family’s wine making dynasty. Bruno would gradually increase production and his
sons and their children would follow him into the business; this is how third
generation Lunelli family member, Matteo, finds himself in Houston.

He talked a lot about the mountain and how it affects
everything –the climate, the terroir, the culture of the people; it dictates
how its vineyards should be tended. He spoke of the high altitude vineyards sitting
at 300-600 meters, the “kissed by sun” grapes and those warm temperatures by
day with those chilly nights. He talked
of their decision to ban herbicides and pesticides in favor of more natural growing
techniques in the vineyard. The family feels a move towards organic is actually a
return to the older ways.

Interestingly, Matteo doesn’t think this move will help him
sell more wine. He doesn’t believe that organics is important to most sparkling
wine consumers but he believes it is important for the people within the
community, that the local people are the reason for making the change. He
believes it is an ethical one. His concern is for the worker that applies the
chemical treatment and for others that live nearby whose health may be affected.
He said it was difficult to get some farmers to change to more sustainable
methods when they had always done things one way.

Stainless steel became more important in their Blanc de
blancs wines though wood barrels were always used. The Riserva wines are aged in
oak to gain richness; wood can rob the younger wines of elegance. They have
experimented with different types of wood and different sized barrels but they have
returned to the older ways of their grandfather in the winery as well with some
large Austrian oak barrels for some of the wines.

Matteo Lunelli believes the prestige of the brand rides on the Ferrari
Brut Non-Vintage. Excellence must be achieved and the classic house style
maintained. He says that doing this is far more difficult than getting a
beautiful expression from a special vineyard or from a better year. Stylistically,
the Perlés are expected to be lighter and fresher while the Riservas should be
more complex.

He is proud to see his wine served in places like Tony’s
though he would rather that they not serve it in flutes as he feels that some
of the complexity of flavor is lost in favor of the visual experience. This comes
up often from sparkling wine-makers; it may be time for American restaurants to
start listening.

Despite the stemware, the wine still shone along with the
fabulous meal and service. Thank you to Matteo Lunelli for sharing both your
stories and the wine.

Ferrari Riserva Lunelli 2006 - (100% Chardonnay fermented in oak, bottled and
aged on the lees for 7 years) This was an intense, rich yeasty wine with
lighter aromas and flavors of spiced citrus that can stand up to rich
foods. SRP $59

The
pinnacle of Italian sparkling wine production. The Maso Pianizza vineyard area
creates wines that can last for years. Matteo Lunelli said, “This Chardonnay
has the power to win the challenge of time.”

Giulio Ferrari 2001 - (100%
Chardonnay) Fresh, fruity tropical aromas and flavors of lychee and
pineapple with almond pastry. Very drinkable and surprising young tasting,
I found it easy to agree with my host’s assessment that “one glass calls
for another.” It was excellent with the fish. SRP $100

Giulio Ferrari 1995 - (100%
Chardonnay) At 19 years old, this wine proves the longevity of the line
with its fresh aromas of honeysuckle and apricot with honeyed brioche
flavors and a crisp, saline minerality in the long finish. Fresh and
complex with persistent bubbles, this wine is no longer available but
older vintages are obviously well worth seeking out.

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